Location-based information and acquisition method

• US 7,164,924 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimotani, Mitsuo, Ueda, Fumio, Ozaki, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Congvan
• Application Number:
  US11/302,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20060105781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/403, 455/404.2, 455/418, 455/424, 455/428, 455/435.2, 455/411
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system for providing a mobile communication terminal, the position of which can be detected with location-based information that is associated with a detected position, and a method of service for providing the mobile communication terminal with the location-based information automatically and quickly by synchronizing with behavior of the mobile communication terminal. A location-based information intermediation method and a location-based information acquisition method are disclosed. Still further, the present invention provides the mobile communication terminal and the intermediation computer system for the method.

Claims

1. A location-based information intermediation and acquisition method in which an intermediation computer system on a network intermediates location-based information provided on said network and a mobile communication terminal on said network acquires the desired location-based information that synchronizes with behavior of the mobile communication terminal through the intermediation, comprising:

in said intermediation computer system, transmitting to said mobile communication terminal over the network an information source and distribution condition list that associates a location on the network of an information source having the location-based information that corresponds to specific search conditions with distribution conditions that include a distribution area of said location-based information; and

in said mobile communication terminal, verifying behavior of said mobile communication terminal against the distribution conditions of the information source indicated in said received information source and distribution condition list, for each information source, and then receiving and presenting the location-based information by accessing the verified information source.

4. The location-based information intermediation and acquisition method according to claim 1, wherein the intermediation computer system additionally transmits distribution bearing angle information that limits a moving direction of the mobile communication terminal as one of the distribution conditions in the information source and distribution condition list to the mobile communication terminal;

and

said mobile communication terminal verifies the moving direction of said mobile communication terminal against the distribution bearing angle in the information source and distribution condition list, and accesses the information source that conforms to the distribution conditions to receive the location-based information for presentation.

2. A location-based information intermediation method, comprising transmitting to a mobile communication terminal an information source and distribution condition list that associates a location on a network of an information source having predetermined location-based information that corresponds to specific search conditions with distribution conditions that include a distribution area of the location-based information.

3. A location-based information intermediation method according to claim 2, further comprising, when receiving a request to transmit the information source and distribution condition list concerning predetermined location-based information to a specified mobile communication terminal by specifying a search condition from an arbitrary client computer over the network, transmitting the information source and distribution condition list to said specified mobile communication terminal.

5. A location-based information acquisition method, comprising:

receiving from outside an information source and distribution condition list that associates a location on a network of an information source having predetermined location-based information with distribution conditions that include a distribution area of the location-based information; and

verifying, for each information source, behavior of a mobile communication terminal including a location thereof against the distribution conditions of the information source indicated in the information source and distribution condition list received, and then receiving and presenting the location-based information by accessing the verified information source.

6. A location-based information acquisition method, comprising:

requesting an intermediation computer system to provide intermediation support in connection with predetermined location-based information while attaching search conditions for the location-based information provided on a network;

receiving an information source and distribution condition list that associates a location on a network of an information source having the predetermined location-based information with distribution conditions that include a distribution area of the location-based information from said intermediation computer system via the network; and

verifying, for each information source, behavior of a mobile communication terminal including a location thereof against the distribution conditions of the information source indicated in the information source and distribution condition list received, and then receiving and presenting the location-based information by accessing the verified information source.

7. The location-based information acquisition method according to claim 6, wherein the search conditions are updated automatically as the mobile communication terminal moves.

8. The location-based information acquisition method according to claim 6, further comprising presenting a screen for inputting the search conditions, wherein the search conditions are specified through said screen to request provision of intermediation support.